We [songwriters] are writing the liturgies of the church today...recognizing that in a lot of contemporary churches these liturgies aren't read. And so, the songs of today literally become the confession of the church.

[Ben Fielding]

A brief post about Worship as the Means to Overcoming Pride. 

I meet many earnest young worship leaders who describe themselves as having huge pride-problems. “I really struggle with pride,” they say.


And while at it, as a worship team member ... do we understand the diverse cultures of those we are trying to lead?  It's good to broaden one's thinking about today’s world.  Here is one place you might like to start.

Fear of not meeting expectations is often the leading barrier to participation.  For the worship leader this is no less true than for any other activity.  Likewise, the perception of expectations to join a worship team are often an almost insurmountable barrier.


We all "... struggle with that regular, persistent, frustratingly silly (but still dangerous) moments of doubt/fear/anxiety/self-consciousness/jealousy. We start to believe myths that tell us we should be different, or we aren’t talented enough, or we shouldn’t uphold certain principles. These myths weaken our ministry"

Click the link for a great list that worship leaders and worship team members alike should think about:

TEN MYTHS

PS: Read the comments at the end of the article too!

In our church we've come to call the minutes before a service begins the "rush hour" ... all those little things we haven't go straightened out yet ... all the energy wasted on dealing with important trivia.

However, quite aside for not preparing our minds and hearts for the worship, we're missing another important responsibility:  how we should be using those last 5 minutes: 

"What happens in those few minutes after your visitors take their seat in the auditorium/sanctuary/worship center and before service begins? I speak of visitors because, let’s be honest, they’re the ones who come early. Your regulars meander in because they know what to expect. It’s easy to forget about those few minutes, yet they matter when lost people find themselves in a seat at your house."

Read more HERE

Read about it here

The following links on issues in Worship ... expand you brain ... engage!

Worship is not merely talking about God, or learning about God. If worship is not meeting with God, it isn’t worship at all. [Stephen Miller]

1. Take this Worship Job and Shove it (link)

2. In Defense Of Simple Contemporary Worship Songs (link)

3. The Issue of Age in Modern Worship (link)

And then: a great song ... should we add it to the repertoire?  (Don't miss the sand painting!)

And if you want to learn to play it, see here: http://bit.ly/1htmFOM

Michael Hawn, a professor of church music at Perkins School of Theology, uses two basic categories when speaking about music in the church: cyclical and sequential. Cyclical music is typically made up of short texts supported by a simple melody that is easy to pick up by ear, and lends itself to both repetition and innovation.

Joel Houston’s (of Hillsong United) composition, “The Stand” is a much more complex song—musically and lyrically. The verses have a quality similar to sequential music. They build off of each other as they push the singer toward the end of the song.

Read more here: http://seedbed.com/feed/new-sound-contemporary-worship/